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. T. G. F. DOL'BY. Apparatus for Exhausting Air from Cans.

No. 230,179. I Patented July 20,1880.

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N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRIPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

2 Sheets- Sneet 1.

N o Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. TFG. F. DOLBY. Apparatus for Exhausting Air from Cans.

No. 230,179. Patented July 20,1880.

ATTESTI INVENTURZ ",PETEFS, PNDTO-LTTNOGRPNER. WASHINGYON, By C,

.NITED STATES THOMAS G. F; DOLBY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR EXHAUSTING AIR FROM CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,179, dated July 20, 1880.

Application filed May 14, 1880. (No model) Patented in England October 11, 1879.

To all whom t't may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS GEORGE FON- NE REAU DOLBY, of London, En gland,have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Exhausting Air from Cans, Jars, and other receptacles for food and other substances; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon-that is to say:

My invention relates to apparatus for exhausting air from such cans and receptacles as have their covers retained in place by atmospheric pr essure alone, and the improvements have reference more particularly to the apparatus for which I have obtained Letters Patent No. 221,399, dated November 11, 187 9. The improvements may, however, be applied to any apparatus in which the cans (or their npperjntrts and lids or covers) are. placed in a chamber, from which the airis then exhausted and into which the air is again admitted.

My invention consists, essentially, in an improved means for holding down the lid or cover of the can while the air is being readmitted to the receptacle inclosing the can, so as to prevent any air t'rom entering the latter under the edge of the lid.

Heretofore various means have been devised for stoppering vessels while under the influence of the vacuum; but they all vary in some important respects l'rom that which I will now describe.

In the drawings, which serve to illustrate the manner in which I prefer to carry out my invention, Figure l is a vertical mid-section of the apparatus, and Fig.2 a plan of the same.

A is a cylinder; B, a piston; O, the pistonrod; D, the lower cylimler-head; E, the upper cylinder-head; F, thechamber for the can or vessol; G, the can or vessel Z) Z), holes communicating between the chamber F and the cylinder. These parts in the arrangement shown in the drawings are all the same as in the apparatus described in the specification of my said former Letters Patent.

a is the cover to the chamber, adapted to be hermetically closed by some suitable means.

I have shown it provided with a flange or rim which finds a seat upon a packing-ring upon a projecting rim on the chamberF, and I prefer that it should beheld in place by atmospheric pressure alone.

In the cover a is a valvular opening adapted to be closed by a valve of any convenient form. The valve shown is a springvalve, c, which is hinged at d, and is formed with a finger-piece or extension, 0, by means of which it is operated.

f is a disk or presser carried by a plunger, g, which passes throughan aperture in the cover a, and through a cap, h, screwed to the said cover.

41 is an air-tight diaphragm between the plunger g and the cap and cover, and secured by a nut, l. i

n is a lever, by means of which the plunger y can be forced down as required. This lever is centered at 0 to an upright, p, and near its outer end is a button or projection, m, between which and a corresponding piece, m, is fitted a spring, 9", whose tendency is to force the lever a and plunger g upward. the spring 1 must exceed that of the atmospheric pressure due to the area of the plunger y when the chamber F is exhausted.

The operation is as follows: hen the chamber F and the can G therein have been exhausted the lever a is brought down so as to force down the plunger 9 and bring the disk or presser f upon the lid of the can G. While this lid is thus held down the valve 0 is opened so as to readmit the outer air to the chamber F, (or the air can be readmitted from the pump through the holes I) b.) The lid ot the can G thus immediately becomes fixed in place by atmospheric pressure. The lever a being new thrown back, the cover a may be removed, the can G taken out, another can introduced, and the cover a replaced, when the operations may be repeated, and so on indefinitely.

It is obvious that various other means than that described might be employed for the purpose of bringing pressure upon, and thereby holding down, the lid of the can until the air has been readmitted to the chamber F. For instance, the spring 0' might be dispensed with The power of and the plunger g and the disk or presser f be held up by any suitable device While the chamber is being exhausted; then by releasing the holding device the plunger 9 would be forced down by the atmospheric pressure, assisted by its own weight, until the disk f pressed upon the lid of the can. Therefore I do not confine myself to the particular arrangement shown.

In all the various apparatus for stoppering Vessels while in a vacuum with which I am familiar the stem of the stoppering-rod or device for forcing in the stoppen has been arranged to pass through a stuffing-box, whereas in my device a flexible diaphragm is employed to give the proper amount of play to the plum ger g, and all friction and possible leakage are avoided, and I am the better enabled to employ this means, as the movement of the plungeris very slight, there being no cork to drive.

\Vhat I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination, with a suitable vacuumproducing apparatus, of the chamber F, its cover a, the plunger g, with its presser, the

flexible diaphragm i, and the lever for press ing the plunger down upon the cover of the can, all arranged substantially as set forth.

2. The eoinbii'iation, with an air exhausting apparatus, of the chamber F, the removable cover a, the diaphragm i, screw-cap h, nut l, iilungerg, with its presser or enlarged head, the lever n, and spring 1", all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with the cover a, provided with a valvular opening, and adapted to the chamber F, provided with an exhaustin g apparatus, a disk or presser,f, plunger g, cap h, diaphragm i, lever a, and spring 1', all arranged substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

In witnesswhereofI have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS G. F. DOLBY.

Witnesses:

J oHN G. NEWBURN, IIUGH P. IIOUG-HTON. 

